Tuesday, May 29, 2007

The Washington Post today has a story on the front page of their website about Allison Stokke, an 18-year old pole vaulter from California who is not getting attention for her athletic or academic achievements, but for the way she looks.

Needless to say, she nor her family does not welcome the attention. She had been featured on various blogs like With Leather and other messsage boards and forums.

As a blogger myself who follows baseball and sports for the most part, I think what has happened to Ms. Stokke is a symbol of our times. I have 3 sisters, 2 of them who were collegiate athletes, and she being only 18, any father or older brother seeing their daughter sexualized on the web would be a cause for concern.

If I were in the position of Allison's father, I'd be.

Information travels faster and more efficient than ever, and it sucks that a young athlete's life has had to have been turned upside down as one poster said, "she's a young, beautiful woman and also an athlete".

That being said, I don't see anything pornographic or illicit about the pictures (unlike Ms. Antonella Barba of American Idol) and she may not have much recourse. She might be trapped in this image for time to come, and get unwanted attention, sadly.

Right now, I just see a tremendously good athlete, not some sex symbol. Hopefully, there might be a balance, but most people are visual and see what is front of them and she may be stuck in this.

However, if I were her, I probably would not appreciate the attention for the way I look, but rather for my athletic and academic ability.

In a word fixated on beauty, and with images from the modeling world, Playboy and Maxim, Ms. Stokke is a victim of the public who likes their athletes good looking and proficient at what they do. In the eyes of many, she might be that rare combo.

She might embrace it, she might not – but it is her right to do so.

At her age, though, there is still a level of innocence still expected, and perhaps her family feels it has been taken away from her. For now, it looks like she does not want to venture into a world where she’d be looked upon like Anna Kournikova.

before you do this to a young athlete, you have to ask yourself: do i want to be the guy who is one step away from being a moustachioed perv at the boardwalk? matt obviously forgot to ask himself that question. or he asked himself and the answer was "YES."

This post is definitely in bad taste. I think you need to leave high school kids alone. She is a beautiful young woman, but she should be allowed to make her own choice about when and how to present that. With Leather shamelessly used her to get traffic, and it worked. That sucks.http://valentinesviews.blogspot.com/2007/05/stokke-post-crosses-line.html

Mr Scruff, the difference between Allison, Anns Kournikova, Danica Patrick or any other athlete who uses hee sexuality to market her self, is that Ms. Stokke is still in high school, and clearly wants no part in it for now.

If she were older, and she wanted a part in the whole uproar - fine; however, she's still just a teen in my eyes, and to objectify her is just wrong.

The thing about this story in the Post is that it has had the exact opposite effect of what I'm sure this girl's father wanted. I for one had not heard about this story until the Post article, but within a minute googled up the picture in question as well as a host of others that have popped up. If anything doing the Post story made things far worse for this girl.

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(ALL PEOPLE IN AGREEMENT, PLEASE FORWARD AND POST THIS POSTING AT YOUR WILL ON ALL SITES REGARDING MISS STOKKE)

I had not heard about Allison Stokke or the internet fame she has attracted until today. I was actually searching online for information about another person named Allison and I stumbled across many of the websites, pages of blogs, TV interviews, pictures etc about this young woman.

I have spent most of the day reading about the whole sensation and the attention her, her family and boyfriend have endured and I would like to make reiterate some of the remarks I have read and bring up some new food for thought - things I have thought about a lot in American society that have not really been mentioned in any of the things I have read regarding Allison Stokke's phenomenon.

All in all, let me just say that this whole thing is a huge testimony to the statement I have not heard anyone refer to, and that is:

"THE DUMBING DOWN OF AMERICA"

I'm sure we all agree that the internet is now a dangerous place. It is a place where people we never see or meet can hide in the privacy of their own homes and comment on, post pictures of, watch videos of and truly affect the lives of people they may or may not know. I think these people need to:

"GET A LIFE"

It is clear and evident that Allison Stokke is a beautiful young woman with much talent. It is sick that all these people have made her into a sex symbol online without her consent and have created this phenomenon.

"DON'T YOU BLOGGERS AND ONLINE TIME WASTERS HAVE ANYTHING BETTER OR REMOTELY CONSTRUCTIVE TO DO WITH YOUR LIVES? AND IF THIS IS IT, YOU ARE A POOR EXCUSE FOR A HUMAN BEING".

Does seeing an attractive girl in athletic attire really make you want to go ahead and ruin people's lives because it turns you on that much? And if you are turned on that much, you've probably had very little experience with women of any kind.

Furthermore, your comment and websites about whether or not her boyfriend is a 'douchebag' is even more appalling. You are all

'OBVIOUSLY JEALOUS"

to the point that you'd spend your life trying to ruin her boyfriend too. You do not know her boyfriend and you do not know her. You idiots should no better than to

"JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER"

I'm sure she is a very nice young woman and I'm sure she has much better judgement about people and her boyfriend than you lonely computer geeks and internet bloggers ever will.

"I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU GUYS POST YOUR OWN PICTURE WHEN YOU WRITE THIS STUFF - BUT WE KNOW YOU WON'T BECAUSE YOU'RE COWARDS".

If Amanda Beard wants to pose nude for Playboy let her. Leave this young girl alone. If Allison Stokke one day decided to pose for Playboy too, then we are all terrible judges of character, but we know that won't happen.

"HER AGE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY OF THIS"

I have read on many pages, that if Allison was in her 20s or older, none of this would be a problem.

"THAT IS GARBAGE"

Stop and think what kind of harassment the internet, media and you blogging idiots give movie actors, models and celebrities. America has become used to bringing down celebrities and posting pics, videos and comments about women and men we see in movies. Paparazzi is a HUGE problem in America and in Hollywood etc, don't bring all that into the life of a young and talented high school girl from California...

"AS HUMANS WE HATE TO BE MADE FUN OF - REMEMBER HOW IT FEELS TO PICKED ON A T SCHOOL OR WORK BY A FELLOW STUDENT OR CO-WORKER? WELL TIMES THAT BY A MILLION AND YOU MIGHT BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND HOW ALLISON AND HER FAMILY FEEL".